Dale W. Bomberger

Dale W. Bomberger, 83, of Cincinnati Ohio (formerly of Dillsburg, Pennsylvania), entered into eternal life with Christ on July 25th surrounded by his family. Dale was born on February 11, 1943 in Akron, Pennsylvania to Homer and Beulah Bomberger. He was raised on a farm with his sister Darle and many animals, including dairy cows that he named, hundreds of guinea pigs he raised, and his beloved dog named Peggy. Dale loved Pennsylvania and to him, there was no place quite like it. As he neared the end of his life, Dale wished he could return to his farm and sit in the sun on his tractor without his shirt. He was content to spend the last decade of his life near his daughter and grandchildren in Ohio, where he continued cracking jokes at family dinners until he passed away. He had many friends at Springdale Nazarene Church and Maple Knoll Village, where he was active in service, social events, and Bible studies.

On Christmas Eve 1964, Dale considered himself immeasurably blessed to marry Marian, beginning a 61-year marriage that would become the defining relationship of his life. They met at Camp Swatara and were best friends from then on. Together, they simply loved being with their family. They traveled through Europe and toured National Parks, though their favorite memories were trips to the shore with their children and adventures around the Harrisburg area with their grandchildren. Their marriage was special in the way they provided steadfast care to one another through life’s challenges. Dale was a selfless servant to Marian, and she to him, as she cared for him in their home to the end of his life.

Dale was a proud father to his two children, whom he considered outstanding: Ryan and Marcie. As a father, he was attentive and involved as a field trip chaperone, extracurricular volunteer, lunch packer, and more. Dale and Marian entrusted their children with independence and responsibility, although Dale often admonished them not to mess up “because everybody’s watching us to see if you’re gonna turn out OK”. He and Marian made frequent trips to visit Ryan and Marcie at their colleges in New York. As they grew, he continued to engage in the many facets of their lives, visiting them in Lynchburg and Cincinnati to attend sporting events at Liberty University and activities with his grandchildren.

Family was everything to Dale, and he spent the later years of his life as the beloved patriarch and Grandpa to five grandchildren, three grandchildren by marriage, and his first great-grandchild. He had special names for his grandchildren. They were beguiled by his stories of his childhood antics and held tight to his sayings “keep making those great decisions”, “stick with the good guys” and “don’t do anything I wouldn’t do”. For decades, he drove from Pennsylvania to Cincinnati monthly for soccer games, sledding in snowstorms,piano recitals, birthday parties, school events, and countless games of Sorry! and Monopoly, despite disliking board games. He never complained. He leaves his grandchildren with happy memories to last a lifetime. There was certainly no one who could read Look Out for Pirates or Robert the Rose Horse better.

Though he joked it was a wonder he finished school without being kicked out first, Dale was an academic and lifelong learner. He graduated from Ephrata High School before earning a degree at Elizabethtown College, his Master of Social Work at University of West Virginia, and his doctorate in education at Penn State. His work was a direct result of his belief in the dignity of all people. There was no one too “interesting” for Dale to befriend or counsel. He was the Director of the Division of Program Standards and Licensing at the State of Pennsylvania for more than 30 years, and served as Employee Training Specialist at Community Services Group in Pennsylvania for more than 25 years. Dale was a skilled public speaker and beloved mentor, remembered by former coworkers as one of the kindest people and someone who was always eager to discuss the problems of the world. Notably, he volunteered for the federal government to visit U.S. Marine bases to audit mental health programming, which provided him and Marian the opportunity to travel extensively. After retirement, Dale continued work as a contractor and served as a Court-Appointed Special Advocate for children in foster care.

Dale will be remembered for his steadfast faith in Christ, his deep care for others, wonderful singing voice, and unique sense of humor. He taught his family to pray continually and value relationships above any disagreement. Even as he struggled with disease at the end of his life, he never stopped praying or believing that, through Christ, death would not be the end, but the beginning of eternal life.

He is survived by his beloved wife Marian, loving children Ryan and Marcie (John), adoring grandchildren Erin (Chris), Jonah (Nicole), Joel, Seth (Elizabeth), Ella, and great-grandson Charlie, his dear sister Darle (Ray), and nieces and nephews whom he loved. He was preceded in death by his parents, brother-in-law Bill, nephew by marriage Jimm, and dear friends whom he looked forward to seeing again in Heaven.

Celebration of Life will be held at Vorhis and Ryan Funeral Home, 11365 Springfield Pl., Springdale, OH 45246  on Saturday, August 15, 2026 at 10:30am. In lieu of flowers or gifts, please send donations to Hospice of Cincinnati.